Indra Krishnamoorthy Nooyi, popularly known as Indra Nooyi, the India-born Chief Executive Officer of the American soft drinks giant PepsiCo will soon be stepping down after 24 years of stint with the company out of which 12 years as its CEO. During Nooyi's stint as CEO, PepsiCo saw its revenue grow by more than 80 per cent and added a one billion dollar brand every other year. Nooyi's impeccable journey from a dreamer to an inspiration to many is simply amazing, especially when taken into account she was born in a conservative Tamil family in Chennai. Apart from being a prominent face of women leadership across the world, she was also the epitome of success for the millions of young Indians who aspired to be like her as they watched her journey through the ranks of PepsiCo and eventually leading the global conglomerate. She was appointed as CEO in 2006, becoming PepsiCo's fifth chief executive in its 41-year history, and the first woman. MasterCard's President Ajay Banga, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were all named to the top jobs in their companies in the years that followed.

Growing up in a conservative Tamil household in the 1950s and 1960s, Nooyi’s rise to the top is considered an anomaly. In her statement announcing her departure, Nooyi brought up her Indian roots: “Growing up in India, I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to lead such an extraordinary company,” she said. Her rise is peppered with life lessons from growing up in Chennai where her mother infused in Nooyi a strong sense of confidence even as she kept her grounded. Yet her mother was her inspiration. The 62-year-old, Nooyi, over the years became a flag bearer for working women striving to balance personal life with the professional. For many Indian women aspiring to rub shoulders with men at the helm, Nooyi is an inspiration and motivation.

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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